Ducasse looks to catch on with Jets

Jane McManus (follow her @janesports on Twitter) has covered sports since 1998 and began covering football just before Brett Favre's stint with the Jets. Her work has appeared in Newsday, USA Today, The Journal News and The New York Times.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Vladimir Ducasse has one season left before he will be Vernon Gholstoned by the new Jets management.

“It's pretty much a year for me to do what they drafted me to do,” Ducasse said.

Ducasse and coach Rex Ryan, one of the few holdovers from the group that drafted him in 2010, have discussed that this is the year for him to make an impact. Ducasse said Ryan is excited to see what he can do this year.

Gholston, the Jets' most recent example of an ineffective high pick, was jettisoned after three seasons, and never caught on with another team.

“I’m not looking at it like I was a second-rounder,” Ducasse said. “That was three years ago.”

The thing is, Ducasse has never won a position battle, although he did end up splitting reps last season with Matt Slauson though few thought Ducasse earned the part. That seemed to be confirmed late in the season. Then-offensive line coach Dave Gugleilmo said he was instructed to rotate Ducasse in at left guard against his better judgement, a “directive from high above me.”